Figuring Out Forever
by Carlow
Summary: In the aftermath of Frank's "not guilty" verdict, Peter & Carla stuggle to cope with the consequences of their affair. Will love truly be enough to concur all?
1. Chapter 1

"_We the jury find the defendant, Frank William Foster, not guilty."_

Most people gasped when the verdict was announced, a few others cheered.

Carla just felt numb.

She wasn't exactly surprised that he'd been found not guilty. After Frank's solicitor had revealed those photos of her and Peter to the court, her credibility had been shot to hell. Leanne's little outburst hadn't helped either. Being called a "lying cow" by one of her few supporters had been more than enough to convince the jury to believe Frank's version of events over hers.

Carla had expected Peter to run after Leanne when she fled the courtroom in tears, but he had surprised her by staying. His presence was comforting. She could sense his anger though.

He wanted to kill Frank and in her current state of mind, Carla almost wished that he would.

"Come on, Love. Let's get you out of here." Michelle's soothing voice coaxed Carla out of the daze she had been in. Without saying a word, she took her sister-in-law's hand and followed her out of the courtroom.

Most of the crowd had dispersed by now. Norris and his annoying little sidekick Mary had fled almost immediately after the verdict was read. With those two busybodies on the loose, Carla was certain that news of Frank's innocence and her affair with Peter was already making the rounds.

Carla wondered if she would ever be able to face everyone again.

"I can't believe they've let him get away with this." Maria said, wrapping her arms around Carla in a show of support. "Have you spoken to your solicitor? Maybe you can appeal?"

"It's over, Maria. He's won." Carla declared, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Maria, can you stay with her while I go and fetch us a cab?" Michelle asked, squeezing Carla's shoulder reassuringly.

"Of course, yeah." Maria replied, moving to stand beside Carla as Michelle left the courthouse.

"It's gonna be alright, ya know. Frank will get what's coming to him eventually." Maria promised, although she didn't sound very convinced.

"And until then, he gets to walk the streets a free man while I get branded as a home wrecking liar…_again_."

"This isn't the same situation, even I can see that." Maria admitted, the awkwardness of the conversation evident in her tone of voice. Carla felt sorry for her. Must not be easy trying to console the woman who tried to steal your husband, but bless her heart for trying.

"I hated you for a really long time, ya know." Maria confessed.

"You should still hate me. I was an evil, manipulative cow back then."

"Yeah, you were." Maria agreed, smiling to try and ease the tension. "But you've changed. The old Carla would have jumped into bed with Peter ages ago – to hell with Leanne and Simon."

"Oh, believe me. It weren't for lack of trying." Carla admitted.

"When you broke down in tears after Peter and Leanne's wedding ceremony, it let me see a different side of you." Maria continued, ignoring Carla's comment. "Ya know, it's easy to be angry when you're the wife who's been scorned. But until then, I never realised how hard it must have been for you – loving someone so much when you know you shouldn't."

"I'm sure it were even harder when that someone was an idiot who kept on denying that he loved you too." Peter muttered under his breath, interrupting their conversation.

"I thought you'd left." Carla lied. She knew he had been there the whole time, standing a safe distance away as if he were afraid to approach her. Their affair may be public knowledge now, but it just didn't seem right for them to be seen together just yet.

"I'm not going anywhere, Love." Peter vowed, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek.

"I should go see what's keeping Michelle…" Maria interjected, sensing that the two lovers needed some privacy.

"No, you're alright. We'll come with you. I want to get the hell out of here." Carla sighed, already making her way towards the front doors of the courthouse.

"Alright then, let's go." Maria agreed as she took Carla by the hand and lead her down the front steps of the old building, with Peter following close behind. As the three of them made their way towards Michelle and the waiting cab, Carla stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Frank and his gang of supporters hanging about on the street.

"Come on, darling." Sally Webster said, loud enough for Carla to hear. "Let's go out and celebrate."

"That's a fabulous idea, Sally." Anne Foster declared, taking her son by the arm as the three of them got in to their waiting car.

"Just ignore 'em" Peter whispered into her ear, his hand on the small of her back.

"That's easier said than done." Carla replied, her voice strained as she desperately tried to keep the tears at bay.

"Ladies, I want to thank you for all of your support today. It really means a lot – to both of us." Peter addressed both Michelle and Maria, smiling in gratitude as he opened the cab door for them. "I'll take Carla home meself. It's been a long day, she needs her rest."

"Are you sure?" Michelle asked, her question obviously directed at Carla.

"Yeah, go on. I'll be fine." She smiled.

"Call me if you need anything." Maria said as she hugged Carla goodbye and got into the cab.

"I'm gonna stop at a hotel tonight – give you two some space." Michelle suggested.

"Don't be daft." Carla replied, although the thought of being completely alone with Peter was tempting. She wanted to crawl into his arms and just forget the rest of the world even existed.

"It's time I start looking for a place of me own, anyroad. I've been stopping at yours for so long, me mum's beginning to worry that I've switched teams – if ya know what I mean." Michelle teased, and despite her somber mood Carla couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll miss you."

"Don't worry, you'll still see plenty of me at work." Michelle assured her. "Speaking of which, don't you even think about stepping foot in that factory tomorrow!"

"I've still got a business to run, Michelle. I can't let him take that away from me in all."

"You've also got a very capable assistant manager who will keep everything at the factory running smoothly until you return." Michelle declared as she leaned forward to kiss Carla on the cheek. "I'll call you later."

And with that, her best friend got into the cab and closed the door behind her. Carla just stood there, hands stuffed in her pockets as she watched the car drive off down the street.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Peter asked as the pair of them stood in the middle of the street, neither one of them knowing what they should do next.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen.

It had started to rain – the cold, wet drops of water pouring down on them both. Carla was completely drenched, but even the rain wasn't enough to mask her tears – mascara running down her face as she finally allowed herself to cry.

"C'mere." Peter whispered as he quickly gathered her up in his arms, holding her close as she sobbed.

"He's not gonna get away with this." Peter vowed, gently running his fingers through her damp hair as her tears finally began to subside.

"He already has." Carla replied, and the pain in her voice nearly broke his heart.

"Come on. Let's go home."


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark outside when she awoke. Carla couldn't tell if it was really early or really late.

Her pillow kept moving up and down slowly, and it smelt wonderfully familiar.

"You finally awake, sleepyhead?"

"Mmm, barely." Carla replied, voice raspy from sleep as she lifted her head from his bare chest and gazed up at him lovingly.

"What time is it?"

"Almost 7:30," he informed her. "PM."

"I slept all day?"

"Just about," he chuckled, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "You needed your rest. Besides, I happen to love watching you sleep."

"You've been here the whole time?" Carla asked, unable to hide her surprise.

"Where else would I be?" He smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Don't you need to go and talk to Leanne? She was really upset when she left the courthouse…"

"Don't worry about Leanne. I'll deal with that later." Peter replied, his anger apparent.

"You can't blame her for reacting the way that she did. We betrayed her, Peter."

"Yeah, and she ruined your case by calling you a liar in court and now Frank Foster is a free man."

"She didn't ruin my case, we did. It were those photos of us together that did it."

"I refuse to regret one second of our time together." Peter declared passionately.

"I don't regret it either," Carla sighed, tracing the tattoo on his forearm with the tip of her finger. "I just wish we'd been more careful, that's all."

"Well, at least we don't have to skulk around anymore." Peter reminded her and the smile on his face warmed her heart.

"That may be the only positive thing to come out of all this." She agreed, lacing her fingers through his.

"I will make him pay for hurting you," Peter vowed, tightening his hold on her. "I promise."

"Don't do anything stupid, Peter. I couldn't bear it if I lost you in all."

"I could make it look like an accident…"

"Peter," she warned, her voice growing serious. "Can we please not talk about him anymore?"

"Alright, Love." He conceded. "But if that bastard comes anywhere near you again, you let me know."

"Yes, boss." Carla agreed as she slowly crawled on top of him, a mischievous smile on her face as she gently kissed his lips. The kiss quickly grew more passionate as he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Carla moaned in response, her hips grinding down on him as she moved to straddle his waist. She could feel him growing hard beneath her as they continued to devour each other.

"Make love to me." She whispered, gasping when he thrust his hips upwards and made contact with the source of her desire.

"I'll make love to you forever," Peter sighed, tracing her lips with the tip of his finger. "If you'll let me."

"Forever, eh?" Carla grinned, drawing his finger into her mouth and licking it suggestively. "Have you purchased stock in them little blue pills or somit?"

"Oi, c'mere you!" Peter growled as he flipped them over in bed so that he was the one straddling her. Carla's laughter soon turned to sighs of pleasure as she and Peter made love in the dim light of her bedroom. She knew that tomorrow would bring with it a whole new set of problems. But for tonight, all that mattered was this moment.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all SO very much for the wonderful reviews. I'm having a great time writing this fic. It will be written entirely from Carla's POV because I think it will be interesting to see how she interacts with various characters on the show once the trial is over and the affair has been revealed. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter. I will try and update again soon!

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"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"

"Peter, I told ya. Don't worry about me, I'm a big girl." Carla reassured him as he put on his coat and prepared to leave the flat.

"I know, but I can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through right now. You shouldn't be left on your own."

"If it'll make you feel any better, I'll ring Michelle and have her come over to keep me company for a bit."

"Isn't she busy running the factory?" Peter reminded her.

"Yeah, but I don't think her boss will mind if she takes an early lunch." Carla smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Alright, good. I shouldn't be too long."

"Take as long as ya need." She said, placing her hands on his shoulders. As difficult as dealing with Frank's 'not guilty' verdict was – she didn't envy Peter. It weren't easy ending a marriage, Carla knew that all too well. She knew he still cared about Leanne as well, and honestly – so did she. Good mates were hard to find, and Lea had been one of her most trusted companions for a long time. Carla hated betraying her like this, but she just loved Peter so goddamn much.

If only things had worked out differently…

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Carla offered. It wasn't fair that he face Leanne's wrath all on his own.

"No, I think it's best if I talk to her meself. I don't think she'd be too happy to see ya."

"That's the understatement of the century." Carla smiled, trying her best to make light of the situation.

"I best be off," Peter sighed. It were obvious he weren't looking forward to confronting his furious wife. "Call me if you need owt."

"Will do," Carla agreed, kissing him softly on the lips – reluctant to let him go. "I love you."

"Ditto," he grinned, kissing her again before he turned to leave. "See you soon."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How are ya feeling, Love?"

"Don't ask," Carla replied dismissively as she sat down on the sofa beside Michelle. "Let's not talk about Frank, eh. How are things going at the factory?"

"Good. The Braxton order is almost finished."

"I need to find us more clients. We'll be out of work soon." Carla sighed, dreading the thought of having to approach her old business associates – knowing they all must have heard about Frank's verdict by now.

"I'll start calling people as soon as I back in the office." Michelle reassured her.

"Thanks, Chelle. But I should really take care of that meself. I need to get back to work. I can't hide away in me flat forever."

"Speaking of flats, I found a great one close by. I can move in as soon as I'd like."

"That were quick," Carla replied, sad to learn that her partner in crime really would be leaving. "Ya know, you don't have to go."

"Yeah, I do. It's time." Michelle smiled, reaching out to give her hand a quick squeeze. "Besides, I assume Peter and Simon will be moving in here soon."

"I aven't the slightest clue what's going to happen." Carla replied honestly. She and Peter had spent so much time skulking around and living life in the present, they hadn't really given much thought to the future.

"How long have you two been…" Michelle let her voice trail off – the unspoken question were obvious.

"Since the tram crash anniversary." Carla admitted and it felt incredibly good to finally say it out loud.

"Really?" Michelle replied, her surprise apparent. "I would'ave thought you'd been carrying on a lot longer than that."

"Why d'ya say that?"

"Oh, come on. It were obvious the two of you had a thing for each other for ages! I'm surprised you held out that long."

"We did try to stay away from each other ya know." Carla defended. "It were just so hard. I couldn't get him outta me head."

"And I'm guessing the feeling is mutual?"

"I wasn't sure at first," Carla admitted, remembering all those months when Peter had rejected her. "But I know he loves me now. If it weren't for him, I don't think I could have gotten through these last few months."

"I'm happy for ya, Carla. I really am." Michelle smiled.

"Even if I am a heartless homewrecker?"

"Come on, don't beat yaself up too much. These things happen. Sometimes you just can't help who ya fall in love with."

"I suppose." Carla sighed. She knew most people on the street weren't going to be quite so understanding.

"And let's not forget, Leanne ain't exactly a saint herself."

"I know, but she doesn't deserve this. And poor Simon…"

"He'll be fine," Michelle reassured her. "If our Ryan got over finding out that I'm not his real mum, Simon will get over his parents splitting up."

"He's gonna hate me." Carla groaned. She knew how much the little lad adored Leanne. "I'd make a rubbish step-mum."

"That's not true! You were brilliant with Ry when he were little." Michelle reasoned.

"That's because when he started to misbehave I could always ship him back to you at the end of the day."

"It'll be difficult at first, but you'll survive. And I'm always just a phone call away if ya need me."

"I really wish you didn't have to move out." Carla sighed. She was really gonna miss her.

"If three's a crowd, I'd hate to think what four would be." Michelle teased. "You and Peter need your space. Just forget about all the drama and try to be happy for a change. Lord knows you deserve it."

"I really don't wanna screw this up, Michelle."

"You won't. Just enjoy being together and everything else will fall into place." Michelle grinned, her optimism contagious.

"I hope you're right."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I can't believe Leanne would just run off like that." Carla said as she made herself a cup of coffee.

"She's gone and left our Simon in a right state. Poor lad begged her not to go."

"Where is he now?"

"He's stopping at me dad and Dierdre's for the night." Peter explained, leaning against the kitchen counter as he took a sip of his orange juice.

"Don't you think he ought to be with you right now?" Carla suggested. This whole situation must be so confusing for the poor little boy. Hell, it were confusing to her in all!

"He's not exactly thrilled with me at the moment." Peter replied, unable to hide his devastation. Carla knew how important Simon was to him and it killed her to see the rift that was forming between father and son.

"Peter." Carla sighed, her heart breaking for him.

"He thinks I've started drinking again and that's why Leanne left."

"You didn't tell him about us?" Carla asked, moving to stand in between his legs – arms wrapped loosely around his waist.

"I thought it best to leave that bombshell for another day." He reasoned, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the lips.

"What did Ken and Dierdre have to say?" Carla asked, not looking forward to the answer.

"They aren't exactly thrilled with me either."

"I'm sorry." Carla sighed, guilt eating away at her.

"Hey, you've got nothing to apologize for – alright? You have made me the happiest man in the world."

"By destroying your family?" Carla muttered under her breath, unable to meet his gaze.

"By loving me for the disaster that I am and accepting me, baggage and all." Peter declared as he lifted her chin and forced her to look at him.

"I'm the queen of baggage, me." She grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

"Sounds like we're a match made in Heaven." He smiled, reaching out to stroke her cheek.

"Or Hell," Carla reasoned, eyebrow raised in question. "Time will tell I guess."

"You and me are the real deal, Carla Connor. I meant what I said. I'm never gonna let you go." Peter vowed, reminding her of the conversation they had weeks ago.

"I wish I could believe that." Carla sighed, reluctant to put much faith in promises of forever. She weren't a princess and this sure as hell wasn't a fairy tale.

"Good thing I'm prepared to spend the rest of me life proving it to you." Peter declared, and she wanted so badly to believe him.

"I love you," She whispered, blinking away tears. "I love you so much."

"I love you." Peter grinned cheekily as he started to sing. "And love is all you need…"

"Oh, Lord. Not again." Carla laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and squealing in surprise when he threw her over his shoulder and carried her into the bedroom.

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	4. Chapter 4

Carla had been on the phone all morning with her old business associates – desperately trying to drum up some new orders. Just as she had suspected, her former friends and colleagues all wanted nothing to do with her now.

It didn't help matters that nearly all of her biggest clients were men – all of whom were probably afraid to meet with her in case she cried rape. And the one female client she'd rung had practically hung up on her – unwilling to associate with the likes of Carla Connor for fear that she too would get a reputation.

So once again, Frank had won. His business was flourishing while she was on the verge of losing everything she'd worked so hard to achieve.

Life was so completely unfair sometimes.

If she didn't have Peter's arms to crawl into at night, Carla wondered if she would have the strength to get out of bed and face another day. At times it seemed like the promise of their future together was the only thing keeping her going anymore.

"Mrs. Connor?" A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts and Carla looked up from her desk to greet the younger woman.

"Yes, Fiz. What can I do for ya?"

"Sorry to bother ya, I just wondered if I could have a quick word?"

"Have a seat." Carla replied, motioning towards the chair in front of her desk.

"Ta," Fiz smiled nervously as she sat down in front of her boss. "It's really great to see ya back at work."

"I can't very well sit at home feeling sorry for myself now, can I?"

"Yeah, that does get old rather quickly." The young woman sympathized.

"I'm sorry, Fiz. What am I like?" Carla sighed. She had been so caught up in her own drama, she'd forgotten that Fiz had her own demons to battle.

"How are you makin' out, being back at work and away from little Hope?"

"I'm fine. Brilliant actually. It feels great getting me life back in order."

"Good. I'm glad you're getting on well." Carla smiled, genuinely happy for her.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about." Fiz explained, shifting nervously in her seat. "I was wondering if there's any overtime available? Money's a bit tight right now, ya know. I could really use the extra quid."

"I'm sorry, Fiz." Carla sighed, feeling awful as she thought about the impact Underworld going bankrupt would have on her employees. "We're really short on orders right now. But if anything comes up, you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it." Fiz smiled as she got up and prepared to leave the office. Carla could tell that the young woman wasn't pleased with her response, but she just couldn't make her any promises – not when the company's future was so uncertain.

"I would understand, ya know. If you needed to go and look for work somewhere else." Carla declared reluctantly, not wanting to lose one of her best machinists. "I think Foster's is hiring."

"I'd rather scrub toilets than go work for that scumbag." Fiz assured her with a wink before quietly leaving the office, closing the door behind her.

Carla was touched by her loyalty. It made her even more determined to restore Underworld back to its former glory. These women depended on her for their livelihood - they had bills to pay and little mouths to feed. Carla wouldn't let them down, not again. But with no new clients willing to invest in the company, money was definitely an issue. She would need a serious influx of cash if there were to be any hope at all of salvaging the company.

But after what happened last time, Carla wasn't willing to sign any more deals with the Devil. She would never allow herself to be financially dependent on someone like Frank Foster again.

That only left her with one other option – one she was extremely reluctant to use. But at this point, she had no other choice.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Carla picked up the phone and quickly dialed a number she'd had memorized for years but had never rung until now.

After a few rings, she was ready to hang up when all of a sudden someone picked up the phone and she tried to ignore the wave of emotion that hit her in response to hearing the familiar voice.

"Hello?"

"It's me…Carla. I need your help."

**A/N: Short chapter, I know. But I wanted to put it up anyway. I've finally figured out where I want this story to go and I'm excited for what the next few chapters have in store. Hope you all enjoy and thanks as always for the lovely feedback! TeamCarter for life! **


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